Advanced US weapons systems 'easy to hack'

Almost every US military weapons systems built from 2012 to 2017 are vulnerable to cyber attacks, an alarming report has warned.

The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigation, conducted between September 2017 and October 2018, found that from 2012 to 2017, (Department of Defence) testers routinely found mission-critical cyber vulnerabilities in nearly all weapon systems that were under development.

In some of the tests, the hi-tech weapons systems were taken over “using relatively simple tools and techniques”.

In one case, the report said, “it took a two-person test team just one hour to gain initial access to a weapon system and one day to gain full control of the system they were testing.”

In other cases, the report said that testers — using simple tools and techniques — were able to take control of computer terminals and see what the operators were seeing in real time. Another team was able to send a pop-up message to the computer terminals “instructing them to insert two quarters to continue operating”.

The reports says the Pentagon is struggling to repel cyber attacks on advanced US military weapons systems. (AP)

The report does not identify any of the at-risk weapons technology due to their classified nature. But it said that nine major defence programs from various military services were reviewed.

Vulnerabilities found within the systems included being able to turn a weapon on or off, change missile targeting, adjust oxygen levels or manipulate what controllers see on their computer screens.

The report cited problems with poor passwords, insecure lines of communication and the Pentagon’s ongoing struggle to get qualified cybersecurity staff.

The report doesn’t name potential attackers, but it noted that some “advanced threat actors” are aware of the vulnerabilities and “have well-funded units that focus on positioning themselves to potentially undermine US capabilities.”

US officials have repeatedly accused Russia and China of using cyberattacks to breach government and commercial networks and systems.

Weapons systems have become so vulnerable to cyber attack due to their increased connectivity to other systems, reports CNN.

The F-35 warplane has connectivity to other weapons systems but this can be a potential 'back door' for hackers. (AP)

Military hardware such as the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter – which Australia is purchasing – enable vital data to be more easily accessed.

But the report highlights how connectivity can be an ‘achilles heel’, enabling potential hackers to gain access to a whole range of systems by just hacking into one of them.

"If attackers can access one of those systems, they may be able to reach any of the others through the connecting networks."

A spokeswoman for the US Defence Department told CNN, it “takes threats to our nation seriously".

"We are continuously strengthening our defensive posture through network hardening, improved cybersecurity, and working with our international allies and partners and our defence Industrial Base and defence Critical Infrastructure partners to secure critical information," she said.